The Red Sox’ J.D. Drew beats the tag of Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez and scores on a wild pitch in the fourth inning during Boston’s victory yesterday.

AP / Tom Uhlman

CINCINNATI — A great deal was expected of Craig Hansen when the Sox made him the 26th overall pick in the 2005 draft.

Hansen was being billed as Boston’s dominant closer of the future.

His career, however, has been marked by fits and starts. Some days he would look good. Other days he wouldn’t and was left to work on reinventing his mechanics in Pawtucket as well as working on his maturity.

Yesterday, though, Hansen claimed something the Red Sox probably expected too soon.

His first big-league save.

Hansen worked the 10th inning of yesterday’s 6-4 victory over the Reds at the Great American Ball Park. He retired the first two batters, surrendered a single and a walk and then, after a visit from pitching coach John Farrell, Hansen nailed down the final out on a fly ball to the edge of the warning track in right.

Truth be told, he said, he didn’t realize he had earned that first big-league save until someone told him as he walked off the field.

“Then it clicked,” said Hansen.

He said he greatly appreciated it. Did he expect it to take so long to earn one?

“In reality, no,” said the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder. “It’s well worth the wait. At this point in my career I deserve it more than when I first came up. I had to make a lot of adjustments. I changed the pitcher I was mechanically.”

Whatever he has done, it is working. Hansen has been scored upon in only one of his last eight outings, totaling 8 2/3 innings.

Wakefield’s alertness pays off

Tim Wakefield was alert, costing the Reds’ Brandon Phillips two stolen bases on the same play.

Phillips was on first with none out in the second. Adam Dunn, a powerful left-handed hitter, was at the plate, so the Sox put a shift on him. Third baseman Mike Lowell was the only Boston infielder on the left side.

Phillips took off on a stolen-base attempt on Wakefield’s first pitch to Dunn. Lowell covered. Phillips, though, clearly had the thought of stealing second and third on the play because with Lowell covering second base for the throw from catcher Kevin Cash, third base was uncovered.

Phillips easily beat Cash’s throw to second. He didn’t slide. He simply touched the bag and headed for third. Shortstop Alex Cora was trailing him as Lowell held on to the ball, with no one to throw it to.

Wakefield, though, alertly ran to cover third base. Lowell threw the ball to him and Phillips was a dead duck. After checking the rule book, Phillips was credited with a stolen base and a caught stealing on the same play.

The Sox pitchers, said manager Terry Francona, are aware that type of play could happen because of the shift.

“As soon as I saw the ball (Cash’s throw) go over my head, I knew I had to get to third,” said Wakefield. “Mikey reminded me of that if he goes to get over there. I’ve gone over there before, but no one’s ever tried for third before.”

Lost in the wild ending was the fact that Wakefield pitched another outstanding game. He gave up only four hits, two of which were solo homers, to Dunn (second inning) and Phillips (seventh). Wakefield, who threw 89 pitches in seven innings on two extra days of rest, is only 1-1 over his last four starts despite an earned-run average of 2.17 over that stretch.

Ellsbury stays on the run

Jacoby Ellsbury swiped two bases, giving him a major-league-leading 31 stolen bases this season and tying Amby McConnell for the Red Sox’ rookie record. McConnell swiped 31 bases in 1908.

Ellsbury pilfered third base in the first inning, scoring on a wild throw for Boston’s first run. That made the fleet outfielder 6-for-6 when attempting to steal third this year. He stole second base in the seventh inning.

Over the last seven seasons, the only other American League rookie with at least 30 steals was Chicago’s Jerry Owens (32 in 2007).

Sore hamstring grounds Manny

Manny Ramirez is going to be limited to pinch-hitting duty in the National League cities on this trip because his right hamstring is bothering him. The designated hitter is not used in N.L. parks, and Ramirez’s hamstring may not allow him to play left field on the final four games of this trip. Ramirez struck out as a pinch hitter yesterday.

Around the bases

Jason Varitek, who is suffering from strep throat, finally made it here late Friday night after a nightmare of flight issues. He’s hoping to be able to play today. … The top of the Sox’ thin lineup went 11-for-25 (.440) yesterday. The bottom four hitters went a combined 2-for-17 (.118), though one of the hits was Coco Crisp’s homer in the 10th. … The crowd was 40,947, the Reds’ third sellout of the year. It was liberally sprinkled with Red Sox fans, as evidenced by the loud roar that accompanied Jonathan Papelbon’s entrance into the game in the ninth, not to mention the numerous “Let’s Go, Red Sox” chants that brought boos from the hometown fans. … The homers by Kevin Youkilis and Crisp in the 10th inning marked the seventh time this season the Sox have gone back-to-back. They have done it four times in their last 14 games. It was the fourth time in team history the feat has been achieved in extra innings. The last time was the 14th inning in Anaheim on Aug. 27, 2003, when David Ortiz and Varitek hit consecutive homers.

skrasner@projo.com